Damper for cotton openers and lappers



(No Model.)

.R. vSOHAELLI'BAUIVI. DAMPER-FOB. COTTON OPENERS AND LAPPERS. v

Patented Aug UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT SOHAELLIBAUM, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

DAIV IPER FOR COTTON OPENERS AND LAPPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 503,255, dated August15, 1893.

Application filed November 28, 1892. Serial 110.453.410- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT SOHAELLIBAUM, of Lowell, in the State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDampers for Cotton Openers and Lappers, of which the following is aspecifica- What is termed the damper in openers and lappers is a boardor iron sheet placed under the grid which extends between the beater oropener cylinder and the collecting cages, and acting to exclude air fromentering the machine through the grid. This damper is hinged at the endnearest the cages and is turned down from time to time to discharge thedirt which has collected upon it. Instead of making this damper in onecontinuous piece, requiring considerable free space underneath the gridfor its play, I divide it transversely into a number of independentlyhinged sections, counterweighted so that they stand normally in closedposition, and connected together among themselves so that they all canbe operated or turned down simultaneously by a single operating rod,cord or chain. At the time the dampers are opened, dirt is apt to bedrawn or blown through the grid onto the cotton on the cages, and toprevent this I provide in the cover of the machine just in advance ofthe point where the cages are located a door which opens into the cageinclosing case above the cotton passage from the beater to the cages,and I connect this door with the damper operating mechanism in suchmanner that the door will open with the dampers -the connections beingsuch that at this time the door will open a little in advance of thedampers. In this way the cages will draw air through the aperture leftby the open door, instead of taking it through the grid and opendampers; and consequently no dirt is drawn into the machine from beneaththe grid. The door, like the dampers, is counterweighted so as to closeof In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 represents in sectional sideelevation so much of a cotton opener as is needed to illustrate myimprovements. Figs. 2 and 3 are details of modified connections betweenthe door and the damper operating mechanism.

A and A arev the beater and beater cylinder; ]3, B are the collectingcages; C is the exhaust fan for the cages; and D is the grid extendingbetween the beater and the cages. All these parts are constructed andcombined for operation in the usual or any suitable manner, and arerepresented for the most part diagrammatically or in outline merely.

The sectional damper beneath the grid is made in any suitable number ofsections. It is in the present instance represented as composed of threesections E, E E hinged independently of each other at 6', 6 e respectively. Each section is provided at each end with a counterweight whichtends to keep it closed -which counterweight may conveniently be formedby a radial arm fastened to the axle of the section and carrying aweight. The counterweight of section E is shown at F, F (F being the armand F the weight thereon). The counterweights of the other sections areomitted in order to avoid obscurin g the drawings. To the axle of eachsection is also attached an operating lever shown respectively at f f fthese levers being connected together by a rod, cord or chain gextending between them and thence prolonged at g to the delivery end ofthe machine to a point where it can conveniently be manipulated. Bypulling on this device all the dampersections are opened simultaneously.When on the other hand it is released each section is at once closed byits counterweight. The parts are shown in closed position in full linesand in open position in dotted lines. If it be desired to arrange theoperating mechanism so that the damper sections can be opened from thefeed end of the machine, instead of from the delivery end, asillustrated in the drawings, all that is required is to reverse theposition of the operating levers f, f f turn ing them upward instead ofdownward, and then to extend the operating cord, chain or rod g to thefeed end of the machine instead of to the delivery end of the machine.

In the case surrounding the wire cages B, B, is ahinged door Gwhichnormally is closed. In order to open this door at the time the dampersare operated to discharge the dirt, and thus to prevent at this timedirt from being drawn or blown onto the cotton on the cages, I connectthe door with the operating cord or rod 9 by an extension 9 thisextension being in the present instance made fast to the lever arm 2' ofthe door which carries the counterweight 2" by which the door normallyis kept in closed position. Under this arrangement the same pull on theoperating rod g which opens the dampers will open the door also, thuspermitting air to be freely drawn through the aperture left open by thedoor. It is desirable however for obvious reasons that the door shouldopen a moment or so before the dampers open. To this end as indicated infull lines in Fig. 1, the cord or chain 9 is connected to the operatingend g in such manner that when the dampers are closed there willbelittle slack in it between the end damper and the point where itconnects to the part g. Thus the pull of the operating end 9 is firstupon the door, which partly opens before the dampers begin to move.

If stiff rods are used, instead of chain or flexible connections, thenthe connection between the end damper and the operating rod g may be intwo parts g g linked together as seen in Fig. 2 in order to permit theneeded slack. Or in lieu of the last named arrangement the connectionbetween the end damper and the operating rod g may be a continuous rod9", having an eye 9 mounted to slide on the operating rod g, andbringing up against a stop 9 fixed to the latter rod in such position asto allow the needed longitudinal play to the eye g, before it brings upagainst the stop. To prevent shock and breakage when the released door Gfalls back and down to its normal shut position, the counterweight z" isso placed as to very nearly balance the door, leaving such preponderanceof weight only in the door as will cause it of its own motion to closegently and without undue shock.

In case the door is to be operated from the feed end of the machine,there should be an additional but unweighted lever arm connected to andextending above the axis of the door, to which additional arm theoperating cord or red will be connected.

I have shown counterweights applied to the damper sections and door.Manifestly however springs can be used instead of weights, and I desireto be understood as including any such obvious modification in myclaims.

Having described my improvements and the best way at present known to meof carrying the same into practical effect, What I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the opener and opener cylinder, the collectingcages, and the grid extending between the opener cylinder and the cages,of a damper for the grid, damper operating mechanism, and a door in thecase inclosing the cages connected to and operated by the damperoperating mechanism at the time and in the manner substantially ashereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination of the grid and damper therefor, the opener cylinder,opener and collecting cages, a door in the case inclosing the collectingcages,and operating mechanism connected to the damper and door,substantially in the manner hereinbefore set forth so that the saidmechanism shall open the door slightly in advance of opening the damper,as

and for the purposes stated.

3. The combination of the opener cylinder and opener, the cages, thegrid between the opener cylinder and cages, individually hinged andcounter-weighted damper sections for said grid, a counterweighted doorclosing an opening in the case surrounding the cages, and rods, cords orchains connecting the door and damper sections to an operating handle bywhich both the door and the dampers are opened at the time and in themanner substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I aifixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT SCHAELLIBAUM.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM F. HARRISON, L. ELMER W001).

